Coin-controlled apparatus.



No. 769,672. PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904, W. R. VERSTRABLEN & O. ALTER.

COIN CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1904. NO MODEL.

IN W H? a? INVENTORS Patented September 6, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT @EETQE.

\VILLIAM R. VERSITRAELEN AND CHRISTIAN ALTER, OF N Ell YORK, N. Y.

COlN-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,672, dated September 6, 1904.

Original application filed September 3, 1903, Serial No. 171,752. Divided and this application filed ul]. 20, 1904. Serial Be it known that weJYILLLniR. Vnusrnan- Ens and CHRrs'rIAN A Urns, both citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Coin-Controlled Apparatus, of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description, this being a division of the application for Letters Patent of the United States for a self-playing Zither, Serial No. 171,752, tiled by us September 3, 1903.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved coin-controlled 1 apparatus more especially adapted for use on self-playing musical instruments and arranged to utilize the introduced coin as a circuit-closer for starting the motor employed for running the instrument on which the apparatus is applied and to release the coin, and thereby break the circuit, after the instrument has linished playing the music and the music-sheet has been rerolled on its spool.

The invention consistsof novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improvement, parts being in section and as applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the operating mechanism for the release of the locking device for the coin-controlled apparatus, the note-sheet carrier, and the winding-up roller.

The motor T employed for running the self-playing Zither shown and described in the application for Letters Patent above referred to is started by closing the circuit through the medium of a coin V, placed by the operator in a coin-chute V, having its mouth extending to the outside of the stand A, on which the machine is mounted. The lower end of the coin-chute V is provided with a coin-retainer in the form of a fixed l l l l (No modelJ member V and a movable member V, inclined toward each other to hold the coin rolling down the chute between the members, as plainly indicated in the drawings. \Vhen this takes place, the circuit for the motor H is closed, as the members V and Y are connect-ed by circuit-wires H and .H* with the motor ll", one of the wires, H, containing a source of electrical energy H". ihen the circuit is closed, the motor H is started.

The member V of the coin-retainer is in the form of an arm fulerumed at its upper end at V on the coin-chute V, and the said member V is pivotally connected by a link V with the movable member of a pneumatic V", held on the coin-chute V and connected by a tube V with an air-suction device actuated by the motor H". The free lower end of the movable member V is engaged by a catch V to hold the said member against swinging to one side at the time the motor is started, and air is drawn from the pneumatic V by the air-suction device actuated by the motor T". The catch V is secured on the end of a transverse shaft V, journaled in suitable hearings on the stand A, and on the rear end of the said shaft V" is secured a de pending pin V adapted to be engaged by an arm N, which, with a similar arm l serves to carry the bar J of a note-sheet J to a winding-up roller L, driven from the motor H, as

more fully described in the application above referred to.

It is understood that the musical instrument on which the improvement is applied is provided with a plurality of note-sheets J, (see Fig. 9,) each unwinding from a spool J, mounted to turn in suitable bearings carried by a rotatable note-sheet carrier K under the control of the operator to enable the latter to bring any one of the note-sheets J into operative position relative to the winding-up roller L to be engaged at the projecting ends of its end bar J 3 by the arms N, of which there are two, as previously mentioned, one, however, only being shown, as this one is connected with the coin-controlled apparatus.

As shown in Fig. 2, the spools J and their note-sheets are arranged in a circle on the carrier K, and the projecting ends of each end l carrier against rotation after a roll is in opbar J are seated in a slotK formed in the sides of the carrier K. hen the arms N swing back into a final uppermost position for allowing the note-sheet J to reroll completely on its corresponding spool, then the cam N engages the arm V to impart a rocking motion to the shaft V so that the catch V releases the movable member V to allow the pneu- Inatic V to collapse, and thereby swing the movable member V into an open position that is, away from the fixed memberto allow the coin to drop.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the coin V is held between the members V and V until after the note-sheet is rewound on its roll, and while the coin is in this position it forms an abutment for a locking device to prevent accidental turning of the carrier K. For the purpose described one of the sides of the flanges K of the carrier K is provided in its peripheral surface with notches K one of which is adapted to be engaged at a time by a lug V on a locking-lever fulcrumed at its upper end at V on a bracket secured to the coin-chute V. A spring presses the lever to hold the lug TV in engagement with a notch K in the carrier K, and the lower free end of the said lever W is pivotally connected with an arm mounted to slide in a bearing in the coin-chute to abut against the coin V. As long as the coin is in position in the coin-retainer the lever WV is locked in place, and hence the operator cannot turn the carrier K-that is, during the time the coin is in position. The note-sheet carrier K is locked against turning and only becomes unlocked when the coin is allowed to drop on allowing the movable member V to swing into an open position on the collapsing of the pneumatic V.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the coin V drops-that is, moves out of engagement with the members V and V then the circuit is broken to cause the motor H to stop, and at the same time a coin in dropping away from the members V and V moves out of the path of the bar to unlock the lever V, and hence allow resetting of the note-sheet carrier K by the operator whenever the latter desires to do so.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1.- The combination with a coin-controlled mechanism, of a note-sheet carrier arranged for carrying a plurality of note-sheet rolls, disposed in a circle, the carrier being under the control of the operator, for turning the carrier to bring one of the rolls into an operative position, and means for locking the said erative position, the said means being held locked by the coin introduced in the said coincontrolled apparatus.

2. The combination with a coin-controlled apparatus, of a manually-controlled note-sheet carrier arranged for carrying a plurality ofnote-sheets, and means for locking the said carrier against rotation after a note-sheet is in operative position, the said means being held locked by the coin introduced in the said coincontrolled apparatus.

3. The combination with an electric motor, of a coin-controlled apparatus comprising a coin-chute for the passage of a coin, a retainer; for the coin in the coin-chute, consisting of a fixed and a movable member, the terminals of the circuit for the motor being connected with the said members, for the coin between the members to close the circuit, a pneumatic for imparting motion to the said movable member, a locking device for the said movable member, to lock and unlock the movable member, a note-sheet carrier, a Winding-up roller, and a mechanism for carrying the end of a note-sheet from the said carrier to the said winding-up roller and for actuating the said locking device.

4. The combination with an electric motor having a circuit connected with a source of electrical supply, of a coin-controlled apparatus, comprising a chute for the passage of a coin, a retainer for the coin, consisting of a fixed and a movable member, the members being connected with the terminals of the said circuit, locking means for the said movable member, a tripping device for the said locking means, to unlock the movable member, and means for imparting motion to the said movable member to release the coin.

5. The combination with a coin-controlled apparatus having a locking device, of a notesheet carrier, a winding-up roller, and a mecl anism for carrying the end o1 the note-sheet from the carrier to the winding-up roller and for actuating the said locking device.

6. The combination with a coin-controlled apparatus having a locking device, of a notesheet carrier, a winding-u p roller, and a mechanism for carrying the end of the note-sheet from the carrier to the Winding-up roller and for actuating the said locking device at the return movement of the said mechanism.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM R. VERSTRAELEN. CHRISTIAN ALTER. Witnesses:

THEO. G. HOSTER, EVERARD BOLTON MARsHALL. 

